What do I know

The Cantonese version of the song, “It’s a small world after all” is one of my favorite childhood songs. And I will explain later why I chose it as this post’s title.

To catch up a bit, it’s been over 4 years since I’ve written something on here (or anywhere, really). At one point, I didn’t even remember that I had a blog because I hadn’t journaled in quite a long time. So much has changed since Covid and I had no idea that I would end up where I am now.

To give a little update, I was working at Buxton School, a 9-12 boarding high school in Massachusetts until June 2022. I decided to leave because I was only able to see my family and friends once during Covid and I missed them a great deal. If the school were closer to home in the Bay Area, I definitely would have continued working there for who knows how long. I miss the place and my students and my colleagues and still keep them in my thoughts every day. After I left, I went home and spent time with my family for a little while. At that time, my sister and my brother-in-law who moved to Washington State had trouble finding day-care centers for my nephew because there simply weren’t enough spaces. As I was still contemplating what I wanted to do next, I told my sister that I could help take care of him until they were able to find something that worked for them. It would also let me spend time with my nephew; a win-win.

After doing that for close to 6 months, I eventually returned home and started looking for jobs once my sister and brother-in-law were able to go on maternity and paternity leave because of my second nephew. I still wanted to be a teacher and work in education but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to return to the classroom. In May 2023, I found a part-time YMCA swim instructor/lifeguard position and was hired after completing the swim test and lifeguard certification. I’ve always loved swimming (having been on my high-school swim team) and being around water in general so it was a sort of perfect fit – I get to teach what I enjoy doing. However, because it was only a part-time job, it didn’t provide any benefits and it simply wasn’t enough, financially speaking.

After thinking it over a bit more, I realized that I really do miss working in a boarding school setting. So, I started looking into different boarding schools in the Bay Area and found San Domenico School in San Anselmo. Though I grew up in the Bay, I had no idea that there was a K-12 school with a boarding program in Marin. Long story short, I was hired as a Resident Faculty in July of 2023 and I just started my second year here. Right now, I still get to teach swim lessons at the Y part-time and work in boarding, continuing my work as before except with fewer responsibilities.

Circling back to the reason behind the title of this post and why I decided to write again. At the start of this school year, when we welcomed new students and their families onto campus and into the dorms, I saw a familiar face that made me do a triple-take – it was one of my students who graduated from Buxton School in 2019. She saw me and was so surprised because she had no idea that I had left. It turns out that she is going to graduate school in Berkeley and her sister, who is a 9th grader, is one of the new students here at San Domenico. The family wanted her to be somewhere close to Berkeley and SD just happened to fit that bill. I was flabbergasted because I wasn’t really able to comprehend the chances of that happening. And hence the title of this post: It’s a small world after all.

Because of that, I also started thinking about writing regularly again. Looking at the archives, I still can’t believe that I started this blog as something fun to do and that it was never deleted because of inactivity (thanks, WP). This is still a place for my thoughts, nothing more.

I recently started watching many TED Talks again and came across this one that’s extremely relevant to what I do – not only teach but also help students with their emotional and mental well-being. I have given similar advice on many issues that the adolescents I talk to have dealt with or are dealing with, especially about recognition, acceptance, and acknowledgment. We are sometimes so caught up in our emotions and feelings, which may be completely valid, that we do not have the clarity to make smart decisions – and that’s one of the hindrances that Master Shi Heng Yi talks about. Worth 18 minutes.

4 years later; still fun.

Here at Buxton School, we go on an all-school trip every year to a different city in the US to learn about various topics that are relevant to that city. And every four years, we go to an international destination. Also known as the Annual Urban Intensive, students and faculty split into groups to study issues such as homelessness, crime and punishment, media, education, and many more.

The week before we leave, students and faculty have trip group meetings to set up interviews and meetings with various groups and organizations in DC. Students call and schedule with these people and they also plan most of the trip. The faculty helps in whatever way we can to facilitate that process but overall, the trip is student-driven. They decide on what and when to eat, and what to do on cultural night out, and they help book buses and hotel rooms.

This year, we went to Washington DC. Because it was an election year and we were in the capital, some of the groups focused on topics like women’s rights, democracy, climate change, gun control, Israel/Palestine, ISIS/Iraq/Syria, and immigration and refugee issues.

My group was on immigration and refugee issues and we had the opportunity to meet with many great organizations that are doing research, advocacy work, and just general awareness-raising on the problems with our current immigration system.

While we are in the city, we also bring an all-school play along to perform at various venues as a way to give back to the city. Every student is involved in the play in some way, whether they are acting, doing lights, make-up, drumming, dancing, or singing. This year, our school performed The Persian, which is one of the oldest surviving plays in Western literature.

This week, the trip groups will be meeting again to prepare a presentation to share with the school what we all learned. Every student also contributes to the trip book, which is a reflection of the different experiences that students had in the city, in this case, DC.

This was definitely one of my favorite trips!

If you have been online over the past few weeks, chances are, you know about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. ALS, short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The person with the disease progressively loses function and control of the body and eventually dies. During this time, the person is fully aware of what is happening, and what a terrifying thought it is to not be able to do anything.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has brought attention to the disease and donations have skyrocketed since the conception of the challenge. Many with the disease have spoken out while well-known celebrities and athletes have done the challenge and donated to the cause.

Although the effort to raise awareness about ALS is admirable, encouraging, positive, and supportive, many have pointed out the negative sides to the challenge. One prominent argument against the Ice Bucket Challenge is that hundreds of gallons of water have been “wasted,” meanwhile, droughts are happening all over the world, with many people living, and have been living, without access to clean water. This view has its merits and maybe better ways to bring focus to ALS are out there, but the fact is that we waste water every day and we may not even know it. In 2010, The National Geographic Magazine covered the topic of water conservation and pollution, which is more relevant now than ever. So, instead of dragging down and bringing negative emotions to the original intent of the challenge, we should find other positive ways to make a difference in saving water and be well-informed about the issue because water conservation encompasses much more than not dumping a bucket of ice water over the head.

Another argument is that many people who did the challenge only did so because they wanted the “attention” or they did it “just for fun.” No disagreement here. But again, let us see this as a positive effect on the cause. Yes, these people may be attention-hungry and function on applauses and nods, but they are also contributing to the cause, however accidentally it may seem. So, let them have the “fun” and “attention” that they need or want, and let’s see it as a win for everybody.

Because, darn it, this world needs more wins. #ALSIceBucketChallenge

How wonderful you are. I came across this list on StumbleUpon and I could not help but admit that I have seen 85% of what’s on there. The amount of information on the internet is increasing exponentially and no matter how much I try to avoid looking at “useless” and “lame” videos or articles, I still hear about them from students, friends, and social networks. I am glad that I still do not have a smartphone but I do realize its convenience, especially with apps like the GPS. I also found an interesting article that shows you how to completely remove yourself from the internet. One day, just maybe, I will do it.